


only the year is changing

by postalcoast



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, M/M, Sean & Lenny are cat dads!!!, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29458788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/postalcoast/pseuds/postalcoast
Summary: "Their first kiss is a gentle thing, perhaps not quite as tender or perfect as Sean remembers it being, but it’s nice. Sean isn’t sure how long it lasts or who exactly pulls away first, but it’s a moment he’ll keep with him, locked away in his heart and in his mind like every other moment he’s shared with Lenny over the years - before and since then. "
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan (mentioned), Sean MacGuire/Leonard "Lenny" Summers
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	only the year is changing

**Author's Note:**

> the sections in italics are supposed to be glimpses into the future (or the present, whichever you prefer to read it as). i couldn't decide if i wanted to write about sean & lenny having a quiet night in for valentines day or their first-ever valentines day together so i just decided to do both!!

“Has anybody got _ me _ yet?” Sean spares a glance up at Karen as he picks out a piece of folded up paper from the container. 

Another year of putting up with Dutch’s “Secret Cupid” for his big Valentine’s Day party. Sure, Secret Santa was fine and all, but Dutch had to do the gift exchange for Valentine’s Day, too. Only, this time Sean’s got a system worked out. Playing by the rules did him no favors, it only ended with him getting Bill Williamson two years in a row. 

“I don’t know, nobody’s said anything,” Karen watches as Sean opens up the piece of paper, looks down at the name written on it, then puts it back into the container. “What are you - you  _ can’t do that _ .”

“Oh, but I can,” Sean picks out another piece of paper and glances at the name before putting it back along with the others. Then another, then another. “John does it too, y’know - nobody ever says a word to him about it.”

“Yeah, but,” Karen glances over her shoulder, probably looking for any witnesses that might be lurking about. Sean can easily appreciate that about her - even after a messy breakup and a reluctant agreement to just stay friends, Karen still looks out for him. She’s a good friend to have. “John’s a bit more  _ discreet _ about it - at least he’ll take the name given to him.” 

“Yeah, and then spend the rest of the night workin’ his way around from person to person, seein’ which one got Arthur and then makin’ them trade with him,” Sean finally settles on the name he’s after and slips the piece of paper into his pocket. “I know his game. It’s just tedious and annoying.” 

Karen makes a noise like she might agree with the statement, glancing over her shoulder once more before turning back to Sean, her voice a bit quieter. “So, who’d you want?” 

“It’s a  _ secret _ ,” Sean smiles at her, all toothy and wide. “This is _ secret  _ cupid, eh?” 

Karen returns his smile, although her’s is a bit more knowing. “It’s Lenny, isn’t it?”

“What gave you that idea?” 

Completely seeing through Sean’s half-attempted surprise, Karen lowers her voice just a bit more. “You want me to make sure he gets you?” 

Sean eyes her for a moment, hesitant. “Thought you said you didn’t know if anybody pulled me name yet.” 

Karen shrugs slightly, a nonchalant confession to her previous lie. 

To which Sean chuckles at, before dropping his voice to just above a whisper. “You can do that?” 

Karen’s smiling at him again, a bit more genuine. “Sure.” 

***

_ “What this?” Lenny glances up from the box of chocolates and bouquet of flowers Sean’s handed him. He looks happy, but perhaps not as surprised as Sean originally thought he would. “Thought we were just having a quiet night in this year.” _

_ “We are,” Sean shrugs, settling down on the couch beside Lenny. “Doesn’t mean I can’t get you somethin’.” _

_ Sean picks up the remote beside him and starts flicking through the channels on the TV to find something for them to watch, probably so Lenny won’t see the color rising in his cheeks. Even after all these years, little stuff like this still gets Sean a bit flustered. The fact that he can still see Lenny grinning at him from out of the corner of his eye probably isn’t helping either.  _

_ Lenny shifts in Sean’s peripheral view, getting up and walking into the hallway, towards their bedroom. A few seconds later, Lenny reappears into the living room, barely managing to hide one of those giant stuffed bears behind his back.  _

_ “I got you something, too.”  _

_ “Where’ve you been hidin’ this fella?” Sean chuckles when Lenny pushes the stuffed bear towards him. If he’s being honest with himself, Sean sort of expected Lenny to hold up his end of the agreement on their “quiet night in”. Nothing fancy, just spending time together and watching movies. Missing out on Dutch’s Valentine’s party this year was another upside.  _

_ Sean nearly held up to his end of the agreement, as well, but spending all afternoon with John as he searched for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for Arthur got him feeling a little sentimental, he guesses. Romantic.  _

_ Sean was quick to tell John he was overthinking the whole thing, but ended up right beside John in the checkout line with an armful of Valentine’s Day gifts. Luckily, John spared him in remarking on the irony there.  _

_ “It’s a secret,” Lenny leans down and kisses Sean, before settling back down on the couch, the giant stuffed bear sitting between them.  _

***

“You’re overthinkin’ it,” John tells him, following after Sean as he paces once again around the watch display. “Pretty sure Lenny’s already got a watch, anyway.” 

“That kind of thinkin’ will get you nowhere, John,” Sean throws over his shoulder. “Nowhere beyond doin’ this song and dance you’ve been keepin’ up.” 

John ignores the dig easily enough, he probably knows Sean’s got a bit of truth in the statement. Manipulating the Secret Cupid and then playing it off as a mere coincidence without much thought didn’t seem to be working in John’s favor. 

“Besides, he  _ doesn’t _ ,” Sean elaborates. “Said he thought about getting himself a new one for his birthday but he never did.” 

John goes quiet for a moment, and Sean can feel him peering over his shoulder at the watch he’s focusing his attention on now. 

John makes a considering noise, and then,“What about Dutch’s ‘Nothing over $20’ rule?” 

***

_ That same watch is what Lenny wears now.  _

_ He’s told Sean it’s one of his favorite gifts, maybe because it was the first, or maybe because it holds so many memories. Either way, Sean figures it’s the sentimental value that the watch holds - Lenny can get a bit sentimental over stuff like that, sometimes.  _

_ They’re still occupying the couch in their living room, the giant stuffed bear now positioned towards the end, Sean’s legs sprawled out on top of it. Bouquet of flowers sitting in a vase full of water somewhere on the kitchen table, the box of chocolates haphazardly balanced on Sean’s stomach - over half of its contents eaten.  _

_ Sean’s got his head in Lenny’s lap, Lenny’s fingers absentmindedly dragging through Sean’s hair - and it’s peaceful. Sean couldn’t imagine a quiet night in better than this.  _

_ The sun’s already set outside, shrouding the room in darkness, apart from the glow cast out from the television.  _

_ Sleepless in Seattle, or maybe You’ve Got Mail - Sean isn’t sure, it’s one of those Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romance movies, one that John’s let slip before that made Arthur tear up a bit. _

_ During one of the commercial breaks, Lenny will lean down, or Sean will prop himself up on his elbows - both of them smiling when they kiss. Gentle and soft, the kind of kisses that remind Sean of their first.  _

_ At one point, Lenny deepens the kiss, and he’s got his tongue in Sean’s mouth - and Sean shifts, sitting up a little more so the angle is less awkward and the box of chocolates falls and scatters to the floor.  _

_ Reacting on instinct, a knee-jerk reaction to when any food item falls to the floor that might attract the attention of Ennis or Maggie, Sean jerks fully up, half-successfully head-butting Lenny in the process.  _

_ It hurts like hell for a split-second, but just like the instinct to retrieve the chocolate from within their cats’ reach, Sean finds himself laughing about it. A giddy, contained sort of laughter that Lenny joins in on easily enough while he helps pick up the stray chocolates from the floor.  _

_ Lenny follows Sean into the kitchen to throw the floor candy in the garbage, both cats trailing behind a few feet away with peaked interest, and Sean kisses him again. Softly again, all smiles and ghosts of laughter.  _

***

All it takes is manipulating the Secret Cupid game once, and Lenny’s onto him.

The coincidence isn’t something Lenny falls for, and honestly, Sean knew he wouldn’t. Maybe Karen told him, but that, Sean doubts.

They’re both sitting outside on the steps to the front porch of Dutch’s house, away from the crowd of people inside, gathered around in the living room, exchanging gifts. 

It’s peaceful, out here - in comparison. Away from the delighted shrieks, disappointed groans, and whatever 70s love ballad Dutch has playing for background noise. 

Maybe it’s the watch that blows Sean’s cover, his self-proclaimed “real gift” that he waited to give Lenny while they were sitting out here. 

Sean watches, too intently to be considered nonchalant, as Lenny pries away the gift wrap and pulls the watch out of its small box. He spends a moment just looking at it, balanced on his fingers, his smile a bit reserved in a way that makes Sean wanna kiss him. 

Finally, he meets Sean’s gaze, and the smile becomes full-fledged. About as warm as the afternoon sun, shining its way through February’s still-cold air. 

“You planned this, didn’t you?” 

And well, maybe Sean doesn’t have it in him to keep up the charade any longer. 

He nods. “Was it that obvious?” 

Lenny chuckles, sitting the box down beside him then wrapping the watch around his wrist, and fastening it. He looks at it in a way that’s akin to admiration or a deep fondness, then he’s diverting his attention back to Sean, and the look Lenny wears is completely unchanged. 

“Kind of,” Lenny says. 

A silence settles between the two of them, comfortable and serene, and Sean’s looking back down at his shoes again because his heart keeps fluttering in his chest every time he looks at Lenny. Like it might fly right out of his chest if he stares too long.

“Hey, Sean,” Lenny breaks the silence, but his voice is quiet, and Sean spares another glance at him.“Thank you.”

While Sean isn’t sure which Lenny is thanking him for: the watch or him planning this whole thing out, Sean nods again. Another half-hearted attempt at playing nonchalant. “Don’t mention it.”

Lenny’s gaze drifts down to Sean’s mouth when he speaks, lingering there just long enough for Sean to catch it. 

In one motion, slowed down almost, in Sean’s mind - Lenny’s hand is on Sean’s arm, and he leans in, Sean meeting him half-way. 

Their first kiss is a gentle thing, perhaps not quite as tender or perfect as Sean remembers it being, but it’s nice. Sean isn’t sure how long it lasts or who exactly pulls away first, but it’s a moment he’ll keep with him, locked away in his heart and in his mind like every other moment he’s shared with Lenny over the years - before and since then. 

**Author's Note:**

> love that sean & john literally have like one mission & interaction together in the entire game & I'm just automatically like !!!bEST FRIENDS!! THEY ARE BEST!!! FRIENDS!!! idk it fits i love best buddies with rhyming names


End file.
